Barrier for doorways or the like



Dec. 6, 1949 1 w. BALLARD 2,490,612

BARRIER FOR DooRwAYs 0R THE LIKE Filed Aug. 22, 1945 Q 431 @j la 21]7/ 17%) f6 INVENTOR.

62 96' QU/,5 W BALLA/Q0 BY@ '4M/f ATTOQ/VEY Patented Dec. 6, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT ,OFFICE .BARRIER FOR DQDRWAYIS 50E THE LIKE Louie W. Ballard, Santa Monica, Calif.

Application August 22, 1945, ySerial jNo. 611,993

(Cl. 'i60-225) 2 Claims, 1

This invention relates to -a barrier for doorways, -or the like, and it is a general object of the pres, .ent invention to provide a device 'in the nature .of a barrier applicable to doorways, or like openings to vprevent the passage of children or possibly animals.

There are many situations, particularly in and around the usual household where 4it is .either :dangerous or-undesirable to have doorwaysopen so that children or animals can pass, and yet it .device of the general character referred to which involves but few simple parts. The structure that I have provided involves .few parte .simple and inexpensive of manufacture, and the parts are very simple to manipulate or handle .either in the ,ap-

plieation to or removal from a doorway, 0r the like.

Another object of this invention is .to provide an improved and simplied means :for eieetvely .retaining a barrier in a doorway, .or the like. Bv

my present invention I provide forked arms at 'the C;

.ends of the barrier which engage the door casing land effectively retain `the barrier in position. vIn carrying out vmy invention .I leliminate entirely wedges, latches, catches or working parts subject 'to failure or which may .cause injury or which may be difficult to manipulate.

A further .objectof .the present invention is to provide a simplified yet effective means for adjusting the barrier to accommodate it to door- .ways or openings .of various widths. By vmy present invention I provide a barrier `frame which is sectional and I elect adjustment of the frame by the manipulation of two simple wing nuts.

The various objects and features of my invention will be fully understood from the follow-ing detailed description of a typ-ical preferred form and application of my invention, throughout which description reference is `Arnade to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. lisa view illustrating a typical form of device embodying the present invention show-ing it in operating position in a typical doorway, Fig. `2 is an enlarged Aplan view taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the structure that I have provided being a view taken as indicated by line 3--3 on Fig. 2.

The structure that I have provided by my present invention is applicable to various situations where it is desired to provide a barrier in an opening or doorway. For purpose of example I have illustrated and I will refer to a .doorway A. However, I .wish it understood that I do not limit the invention to this particular application. In the .case villustrated the doorway A which is pro-,- vided in a wall .Le has the usual case .i 2. The case has sid-e Darts or facings i3 V extending vertically upv-vard rrvomthe door F and has la .top facing 1.4.

door B rishown hung in the doorway A.

The .device ci the present invention which .essentially a barrier involves, generally, a .frame .and means for mounting the frame in a doorway A, or the like.

In accordance with my invention the frame of the barrier includes two telescopically relatedvor overlapping vsections l5 and iii `and means I'I slidabljy connecting `the sections. The Vstructure may also include means Ha guiding the sections relative to each other.

Each section of the .frame includes a base or bottom rail .I8 adapted to .rest on .the Vfloor F or to be located near the Hoor and a :top rail i9 adapted to belocated horizontally a suitabledis.-y tance above the bottom rail. The top rail !9 is supported from or above ,the bottom rail |78 vby a plurality of vertically disposed posts 20 which are secured to .and which extend between the top and bottom rails.. The posts are prefer-ably plain .smooth Slat-like lelements spaced close enough together to prevent the passage of the object te be retained or restrained. By providing plain smooth posts 2 0 I `eliminate entirely Vthe pos.- sibility of a ,child or animal climbing .up the posts to get over the barrier.

The two frame sections l5 and I6 are ymade slightly longer than one half Vthe width of the maximum opening -to which .the barrier is to be applied, so -that when the frame is fully extended.

the sections overlap somewhat, VIt is desirable in practice to minimize the length of the frame vsections as far as possible, -so that the structure has a maximum range of adjustment and it .is advantageous from a manufacturing point of view that the two fram.e sections be alike .or at least v0i equal length.

The means .H provided for connecting the frame sections involves bolts Ella resse-ii through slots .2.;l formed .longitudinally in the inner end .p QrtQlS .-.Qi y,the top and bottom rails I8 .and i9, .and-iv'ne'nuts 22 applied to vthe bolts. The bot.- rails 1 8 of the two framesections have longif ,tudina-l slots 2l register andare adapted tto receive a bolt V.20%. In like .manner .the `top rails J9 o f :the two sections have slots 2l which register v.and .are adapted to receive a bolt 29a.. The bolts 2!)a are long enough to extend completely through the overlapping rail parts so that the heads 24 of the bolts are at one side of the frame while the bolts project from the `other side of the frame to receive the wing nuts 22. The Wing nuts 22 may be ordinary plain wing nuts and it is preferred to arrange suitable Washers 2.5

under the wing nuts to bear on the rails of the frame to preventJ mutilation thereof and to create the desired friction. When the wing nuts are loosened on the bolts the frame sections can be freely slid relative to each other to vary the width of the frame and when it is desired to set the frame in a particular position it is a simple matter to tighten the wing nuts on the bolts, causing the frame to be set through the friction set up by the clamping action exerted by the nuts and bolts.

The means llEL for guiding the sections may include ribs i0 projecting from the base and top rails of one frame section to slidably engage or operate in complementary grooves or channels 4I in the opposed rails of the other section.

The means provided by the present invention for mounting the barrier or frame above described involves arms in forked relation to the ends of the frame to embrace a door case, or the like. In the preferred form of the invention there are two pairs of arms at each end of the frame and the arms of the two pairs are preferably located at the top and at the bottom f the frame. In the arrangement that I have illustrated the mounting arms are carried by the top and bottom rails i 8 and I9 of the frame sections, there being a pailr of arms carried by the outer end of each rail 9.

Each of the arms has a projecting part or arm proper 39, projecting beyond the end of its supporting rail and also laterally from the rail. The two arms 3D at the end of a rail project laterally in opposite directions to establish a V-shaped yoke or fork-like construction, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The arms 3i! may be attached to the rails in any suitable manner In the preferred construction each arm has a mounting flange or tab 3l and small bolts 32 passed through the mounting flanges 3l at opposite sides of the rail secure the two anges simultaneously. In practice I prefer to form the arms and their mounting ilanges or strap metal so that they are fairly rigid and I pre-fer to cover them with a fabric or composition coating, say for instance, a jacket of rubber, so that they will not mar or scratch wood-work such as a door casing.

In using the structure that I have provided the two sections I5 and i6 of the frame are applied to a doorway A in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the sections being moved as far apart as possible to bring the forked arms or pairs of arms at the ends of the frame into wedging engagement with the casing of the doorway.

It is to 'be observed that the pairs of arms are shaped and related to receive an average door case between them, and it will be apparent from the drawings how the structure can be applied to a doorway so that the frame is tight between the two sides of the case. When the frame sections have been moved apart as far as possible in a doorway the wing nuts 22 are operated or set xing the frame againstifurther movement until deliberately operated. As the frames are operated relative tc each other the guide means prevents racking or shifting of the frame sections 00 Number such as might otherwise occur. When the barrier or frame is in place the bottom rails I8 may -be resting on the floor F, as shown, in which case it will not shift vertically, and the series of posts 2D present an effective screen or barrier against the passage of children or animals as the case may be.

When it is desired to remove the barrier it is merely necessary to release the wing nuts and slide the frame sections together, thus disengaging the arms from the door case. It is to be noted that the structure is relatively simple and compact, making it easy to handle and to store.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to 4be limited or restricted to the speciic details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A closure applicable to the case of a doorway including, two overlapping relatively movable -frame sections each including top and bottom horizontal rails and a plurality of vertical posts extending between the rails, means carried by the rails operable to set the sections against re1- ative movement, and a V-shaped yoke at the outer end of each rail, each yoke including, like oppositely disposed arms at opposite sides oi a rail at the end portion thereof and fastening means extending through the arms and rail fastening the arms to the rail, the arms having divergent thin blade-like portions in vertical planes and projecting beyond the end of the rail and related for wedging engagement with the case.

2. A closure applicable to the case of a doorway including, two overlapping relatively movable frame sections each including top and bottom horizontal rails and a plurality of vertical posts extending between the rails, means carried by the rails operable to set the sections against relative movement, and a V-shaped yoke at the outer end of each rail, each yoke including, like oppositely disposed arms attached to opposite sides of a rail at the end portion thereof, the arms having divergent thin blade-like portions in vertical planes and projecting beyond the end of the rail and related for wedging engagement with the case.

LOUIE W. BALLARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

